Tooth cleaning and polishing kit



March 15, 1932. H, R PRIEST 1,849,769

TOOTH CLEANING AND POLISHING KIT Filed Oct. 14, 1930 Je 33 Y f5,

Patented Mar. 15, 1932 VPATENT OFFICE HARRY R. PRIEST, F LOUND'ONVILLE, OHIO TOOTH CLEANING AND POLISHING KIT Application led October 14,A 1930, Serial VNo. 488,626.

This invention relates to tooth brush kits and has for an object to provide a single unitary assembly with all of the materials and apparatus needed to thoroughly brush, clean,

polish and inspect the teeth, including a cleaner and polisher, spare cleaning and polishing elements, two mirrors, a dental floss supply, and a tooth cream or tooth powder supply, all of the articles being neatly and attractively assembled in a single unit compact assembly.

Kp A further object of the invention is to provide separate refills or caps containing tooth powder or tooth paste or dental floss which may be kept in stock in drug stores or the like, and purchased as needed by the customer, simply unscrewing the base of the container permitting of the container being screwed onto the holder or case of the tooth cleaner and polisher whereby an extremely convenient kit for travelers is produced.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations of 2i parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the K 3U advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the tooth cleaning and polishing kit assembled,

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view. through the cream refill cap,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the dental floss refill cap,

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal `sectional view through a modilied form of relill cream cap1 Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional View through a tooth powder refill cap,

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view ofthetooth powder rell cap, and v Fig.' 7 is a detail viewV showing the discardable base of the tooth powder refill cap.

Referring now to the drawings in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views, l0 designates a cylindrical case which preferably is formed of Celluloid or other material and `is provided with an open bottom having interior screw threads 11. The top of the case is uniformly reduced in diameter to provide a` reduced head l2 which receives the cleaning and polishing tool v13. The head is provided with a closed top 14 which is exteriorly screw threaded, as shown at 15. The wall of the case'l() is provided with Ventilating open- 60 ings 16.

The tooth cleaning and polishing tool preferably is provided in the bottom of the handle with a magazine 17 for spare cleaning and polishing elements 18. A mirror 19 is 55 disposed in the bottom of the magazine.

By referring nowto Fig. 2, it will be seen that a refill cap 20 is provided for cream 21, the cap having the inner cylindrical face threaded throughout, as shown at 22. The 'fg cap is open at the bottom and is provided with a base 23 of greater diameter than the cap and providing a flat support which permits of the refill caps being stacked so as to be conveniently stored for sale in drug stores u or the like. The cap is provided with a closed top wall 24 which is formed with an axial opening 25 to permit escape of the cream in a thinl stream approximating the diameter of the lead in a lead pencil so that economy is SQ greatly promoted.

The base 23 of the refill cap is provided with a threaded portion 26. It will thus be seen that by unscrewing the base from the cream refill cap and discarding the base, the cap may be threaded onto the threaded closed top 14 of the reduced cylindrical head 12 of the case, as shown in Fig. 1. In use, by sim-V ply screwing down on the cap, the cap will be advanced longitudinally of the head and the latter will act as aplungervto compress the cream which escapes in a thin pencil through the opening 25 for use. By simply unscrewing the cap slightly after suliicient cream has been expelled for use, the cream will be sucked back into the supply within the cap so that the supply lwill not be contaminated nor will it escape accidentally when the kit is not in use. f

By referring now to F ig. 4, it will be seen that the cream refill 27 is identical in construction with the cream refill just described. However, it will be sometimes desirable that the refill cap be used separate from the case 10 and to accommodate the device for such independent use, a hollow plunger 28 is provided with exterior screw threads 29 to receive the interior screw threads 30 of the cap. The plunger is substantially twice the length of the cap and is provided at the bottom with an outstanding base fiange 31 upon which the device may be stood upright and which also forms a grip for screwing or unscrewing the plunger.

1 lVhen the plunger is screwed into the' cap,

the cream is compressed and forced through the discharge opening 32 of the cap, as above explained.

In Fig. 3 there is shown a dental floss refill cap 33 which is exteriorly screw thread ed at both ends as shown at 34 and 35. rIhe refill cap is of sufficient size to contain a large supply of dental floss 36. The cap is open at the top and is closed at the botto-mby a sure is interiorly threaded to receive the eX- terior screw threads 34 of thercap. A central opening 41 is formed in the closure to permit the end of the dental floss supply being drawn therethrough; A cutter' 42 of metal or other material is disposed on the exterior face of the closure for cutting off a required supply of the dental floss.

A base 43 is provided with an upstanding interiorly threaded fiange 44 to receive the lower screw threads of the cap. The base forms a suitable support upon which the cap may be stood upright and also facilitates a plurality of the caps being stacked one upon the' other in storage. In practice, the base is unscrewed from the cap and discarded, and the cap is then screwed onto the bottom open end of the case 10, the screw threads 35 of the cap engaging with the screw threads 34 of the case.

Some persons prefer tooth powder to tooth paste and, accordingly, I provide a refill cap 45, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The cap is closed at the top and is provided interiorly with screw threads 46 disposed in the open bottom of the cap. A disk closure 47 is provided with external screw threads 48 and is provided on the lower face with a rib 49 which is bored out centrally to provide an opening 50. In practice, the disk closure is screwed into the cap and confines a supply of tooth powder 51 in the cap. The refill cap may be screwed onto the exteriorly threaded closed top 14 of the'head 12 in place of the refill cream cap 20. In this position of the parts, as best shown in Fig. 5, the rib 49 of the closure 47 abuts the outer face of the, closed top 14 and thus the discharge opening is effectively sealed by the closed top of the case. The purpose of the rib 49 is to provide a finger grip by means of which the disk closure 47 may be screwed into or out of the cap 45.

For the purpose of facilitating storage of the tooth powder refill cap, it likewise is provided with a base 52 which is provided with a threaded portion 53 that engages the interior screw threads 46 of the cap. It will be observed that the finger grip 49 bears upon a flaty face of the threaded porton of the base so that said face effectively seals the discharge opening 50.

By referring again to Fig. 1, it will be seen that a shoulder 54 is formed atthe juncture of the wall of the Vcase 10 with the reduced hollow plunger portion 12 thereof. The shoulder forms a stop to limit advance of the refill cap longitudinally of the case to expel the contents thereof.

In use, the kit will be observed to contain all of the materials and apparatus necessary for thorough cleaning and also inspectingl theteeth since the latter function is accomplished by simply removing the dental fioss refill cap 23 whereupon both of the mirrors 19 and 38 are available for inspecting the teeth. Furthermore, by virtue of the ventilating openings 16 in the case, the cleaning and polishing tool 13 is ventilated and maintained in a sanitary condition when not in use.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. A toot-h cleaning kit including a case having a reduced end forming a hollow plunger, and a perforated refill cap for cleaning and polishing material manually movable on the plunger to expel said material.

2. A tooth cleaning kit comprising a case having a reduced end forming a hollow plunger, said plunger having external screw threads, a perforated refill cap for cleaning and polishing material having internal screw threads engaging the threads of the plunger, and a stop shoulder at the juncture of said plunger and saidcas'e limiting advance of said refill cap longitudinally of the case.

A tooth cleaning kit including a case terminating in a plunger, a perforated refill cap for tooth paste manually movable on the plunger to expel said paste, said case and plunger being of sufficient length to house a cleaning and polishing tool, a mirror carried b v said tool, a dental fioss refill cap threaded on the end of said case'opposite said tooth paste cap, and a mirror carried by said dental floss cap.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HARRY R. PRIEST. [1.. s] 

